Rhode Island Officials: Battery Charger Sparked Boat Fires

Newport, Rhode Island authorities say a battery charger has been pinpointed as the cause of a fire at a marina that destroyed two boats and damaged two others.

No injuries were reported in the fires, which appear to have started in the cabin of one of the dry-docked boats at Casey’s Marina on Waite’s Wharf.

Newport Fire Chief Peter Kirwin says the cause has been classified as accidental.

One of the boats, a 47-year-old yacht, was undergoing restorations. That boat and the others were stored closely together in a parking lot, which caused the fire to spread rapidly.